Ohio officials react to confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said he applauded the Senate majority for confirming President Donald Trump’s nominee.

“Judge Barrett is both highly qualified and highly respected. She will be an excellent addition to our nation’s highest court,” DeWine posted on social media.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, a Republican and University of Dayton graduate, said Barrett has proved she is qualified, and that her character and intellect have earned the respect of people of all judicial philosophies.

“I welcome the action of the U.S. Senate today for completing its responsibility to advise and consent on the president’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. … Congratulations to Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett for earning her seat on the court.”

David Pepper, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party called Monday’s vote a “Supreme Court sham.”

“Make no mistake, today’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett is an unprincipled sham that deeply delegitimizes the Supreme Court,” he posted on social media.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Cincinnati area Republican, posted on social media that Trump “made an excellent choice in nominating Amy Coney Barrett" and called her “one of the most impressive judicial nominees I’ve seen in my lifetime.” He was among the 52 who voted “yea” to confirm Barrett as the fifth woman to the court.

Hours before the confirmation vote, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Mansfield, said that each senator who votes to confirm Barrett “is willing to risk taking away health care for millions of people and eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions. Watch closely.”